hangover
Americannoun
-
the disagreeable physical aftereffects of drunkenness, such as a headache or stomach disorder, usually felt several hours after cessation of drinking.
- Synonyms:
- nausea, qualm, sickishness, queasiness
-
something remaining behind from a former period or state of affairs.
-
any aftermath of or lingering effect from a distressing experience.
the post-Watergate hangover in Washington.
noun
-
the delayed aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol in a relatively short period of time, characterized by headache and sometimes nausea and dizziness
-
a person or thing left over from or influenced by a past age
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hangover
1890–95, noun use of verb phrase hang over
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The latter is the hangover from a peripatetic childhood defined and dominated by his charismatic father, a once-idealistic scholar whose dreams of a Arab utopia soured into authoritarian megalomania.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
That moment came in 2008, with a crash and a long, throbbing hangover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
But until these initiatives translate into sufficient profits, the tech giant’s historic market hangover is unlikely to clear.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
After a month and a half of sunny vibes, the city was on the verge of its worst sports hangover in ages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
You could say they were a sort of hangover from those talks in our dorm after lights out.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Whether that was due to fans deciding to arrive later while shaking off hangovers after the football or due to attendance being down was unclear.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
Plus, the company wants to avoid having any product hangovers if it floods the market with supply, only to be met by plunging demand and a backlog of old products in the market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Other wellness businesses include acupuncture, yoga, red light therapy to reduce pain and inflammation, and IV drips for hydration that include vitamins and minerals also known to ease hangovers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
Audiences have grown up with Bridget, aging alongside her and hitting the same benchmarks in marriage, children, death, hangovers and wrinkles.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2025
I’m guessing emotional hangovers feel a lot like actual hangovers.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
